


Experimental Partner

by YunaBlaze



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences Over Marriage, Elaborate Courtship, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25519315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaBlaze/pseuds/YunaBlaze
Summary: The Cultural Differences between Modern Age and Ancient Prothean view on Dating and Marriage. - Prothean Javik."Basically, Prothean doesn't date, they find it long and slow. They much prefer to skip straight to the let's get marry part." Quote from Commander Noah Shepard, Javik's fiance.
Relationships: Javik/Male Shepard (Mass Effect)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20
Collections: Just Married Exchange 2020





	Experimental Partner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).



> My first try with this pairing and I always like to imagine how Prothean marriage or dating work. I hope I have done a good job with this pairing. Please enjoy!

It had been two years since the Final Battle, the whole galaxy were on the way to fully recover. During this peaceful period, Noah Shepard, the former Commander of the Normandy, had allowed himself to finally relax and actually get some well-deserved time off. He had outgrown his buzz cut hair and nowadays he worked more on paperwork than actual field operations.

Everyone had went their separate ways and only ever regrouped during the anniversary of their hard-earned victory. His close friends occasionally visited him, but they were all busy trying to instill some more stability in their homeworld or bring some form of order to the group they were in charge of, leaving him to his semi-retirement life.

So it was a great surprise to Noah that a certain Prothean decided to visit him personally instead of just passing a message through Liara. After all, last he had heard of him, the Asari told him that they were working on a book that would hold all the exploits the Prothean had went through, along with several subjects concerning Prothean culture and comparing them with current culture. Not to mention the reason why he came to him.

‘Sorry, I think I have misheard you. Can you repeat that?’ Noah asked as he redid his ponytail. It was strange how he could miss and be annoyed by his longer hairstyle. He had kept his hair long during childhood, seeing it as a hassle to keep it short, until he had joined the military and pretty much stuck by the buzz cut style.

‘I want you to be my partner,’ Javik repeated, all four of his yellow eyes were focused on him. The Prothean hadn’t changed much physically, though he did tried on some new clothing than his usual battle outfit. Its basic style was based on the skin tight suit of his armour, which left his fingers and knee caps free, wearing only a stylized sleeveless coat that reached to his knees. He certainly looked less bulky without the thick armour plating.

‘Partner as in business?’ the human inquired, seeking more clarification as he took a sip of his tea. London had really spoiled him with all the teas. He doubted that Javik needed a sponsor, seeing the topic of his book would draw enough attention throughout the entire galaxy.

‘Mating kind.’

Shepard instantly spat out his drink at the answer, one hand covering his mouth while the other wildly sought out some tissues to wipe whatever leftover drink he had left on his face.

‘Do you humans always react in such extreme manners?’ Javik asked, glancing with a disgusted look at the wet puddles on the desk and some of the tablets.

‘Only when it surprises us,’ came Noah’s choked response before he coughed some more as he cleaned up his desk. Thank god, he hadn’t put any of his paper books out or he would definitely be singing like a canary. ‘Why?’

‘Why not you?’ Javik threw back, as if there was no better choice but Shepard.

‘I’m pretty sure Liara would immediately volunteer if you asked,’ the human remarked.

‘I know,’ the Prothean replied in an exasperated tone that told Shepard that the Asari archeologist had probably offered it a thousand times over.

‘Okay. That still doesn’t explain why you come to me,’ Noah remarked. He was certain that more than half of the galaxy would be interested in getting to know the Prothean more intimately.

‘I do not need a mindless drone to listen to my orders or provide me with scripted materials. I require an experimental partner that I can trust and I trust you’ll provide me with good actual experience than any other,’ Javik clarified with a determined tone.

 _Geez... No pressure._ Shepard couldn’t help but think as he added, ‘You do know that I am a guy, right?’

‘Yes, I notice. If you are that squeamish about it, then be reassured that our experimental partnership doesn’t have to involve sexual activities. Courting will do,’ Javik answered as he titled his head slightly with a smirk on his lips. ‘Though I do recall you did not mind indulging me back then.’

Blue eyes sharped at that remarked as Noah pointed his finger at the Prothean accusingly and said, ‘I was drunk during the party and you just stumbled into my room without permission.’

‘So you kept telling me,’ the ancient alien replied in amusement.

‘God, I hate you,’ Shepard muttered as he leaned back against his seat, ignoring the heat gathering on his cheeks.

‘I hope not. Otherwise, it will affect the experience,’ Javik said with a laugh.

And so, their little experimental partnership began.

***

Noah was not sure why he even accepted this whole deal, seeing his dating experience was pretty much near zero and it was not like he would benefit a damn thing from accepting it. At times, the human did wonder if all those data that was cramped into his brain by the Prothean beacons had instilled a form of kinship towards Javik. Therefore, he felt this... urge? Inclination? Or a sense of duty to help the Prothean out.

Besides, how hard could it be for Javik to compare Prothean courtship with the modern day dating? The task would be over and done with by the end of the day!

‘Why a bookstore?’ Noah’s companion asked as they stood outside of a small book store, where they sold both physical copies and e-books.

‘Dating usually involves going to places one or the other are interested in and learning more about each other in the process. This is my favourite go to place,’ Shepard explained with a shrug. ‘I used to collect scraps of books when I was a kid, learning bits and pieces through whatever I could get my hands on.’

‘Yet you chose to be a soldier than a scholar?’ the Prothean questioned as they entered the store.

‘Military gave me a chance to get off of the street, not the chance to be a smartass scientist,’ the human answered, giving the owner a nod in greeting. At least the store manager simply treated like a regular and not asking him to leave a voice promotion like some stores he had went to. It was nice to enjoy a little peace and quiet, having time to just browse for a new book and read something other than reports.

‘True,’ Javik intoned thoughtfully. ‘If your circumstance was different, I highly doubt we would have the chance to meet. It would have been a... disappointment.’

Noah paused in his search to stare at the Prothean in surprise, having never thought the alien would be... saddened? By the mere thought that they wouldn’t have met if Shepard had chosen another occupation than being a soldier.

‘Yeah, I think I would be disappointed as well.’ Shepard found himself agreeing with him. Javik might be an ass half of the time, but he was a good company... once he had loosened his almighty condescending attitude.

‘Of course, it should be considered an honour for you,’ Javik said with a prideful note in his tone. If Noah was ever honest, he would wish that the Prothean would actually lose that elitist attitude completely.

The human didn’t even bother to reply to that as he turned his attention to some novels on display. Hmm, cross-species romance novels seemed to a hot topic these days. He grinned when he noticed one that talked about a romance between an AI and human. Definitely going to buy this one and send it to Joker, EDI would probably enjoy reading it out loud for him.

‘You are not attempting to draw inspiration from books, are you?’ Javik asked as he stood closer to him to study at the book he was holding.

‘No, but I think this one will be a winner for Joker and EDI,’ Noah answered with a grin.

‘Plotting others’ romantic night while courting another... You humans are strange,’ the Prothean remarked, his nostrils flaring slightly, which Shepard often saw as something similar to one wrinkling their nose.

‘What? Jealous?’ Shepard teased him.

‘Hardly, though I would appreciate it if you can focus more on our courtship than others,’ Javik replied seriously.

The human laughed slightly at that as he placated the alien, ‘Alright, alright, no scheming about other people’s romantic night.’

The Prothean nodded in approval at that, though he hesitated slightly and questioned, ‘Is this supposed to be normal in dating?’

‘Javik, I told you before, there is no actual standard procedure to follow,’ Shepard reminded his alien partner as he gestured at the different romance novels on display. ‘Things are different from one couples to the next. Some might be stuck to the hips, others could act almost like friends despite being lovers and yes, there are a few who like to scheme during a date. Love just... comes in different shapes and sizes.’

‘So nothing but chaos in current courtship procedures,’ Javik said, crossing his arms over his chest.

‘I think it’s a more... organized mess than complete chaos,’ Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck. Couldn’t think of a better word to describe dating. ‘Is courting that clinical for you?’

‘We were mostly paired genetically, to ensure that we would produce strong offspring’s for our war against the Reapers,’ Javik answered as he flipped through a few pages of a random romance novel he picked up. ‘Courting is... less endearing than current age. Survival was far more important.’

‘Understandable.’ Shepard grimaced at the thought. He couldn’t even imagine how the war would go for them. He doubted they would last as long as the Prothean did in the long run, seeing they were a less unified front. Everyone to themselves kind of situation, until he had managed to somehow drag everyone into one single path. ‘Though it sounds... lonely. Like your people don’t get emotionally attached.’

‘We don’t. Emotional attachment was unimportant and at times a hindrance. We were... encouraged to not. For loss was inevitable,’ Javik added.

‘But you still get to bond with each other, right?’ Shepard remarked, recalling the sadness the Prothean held when he was holding the Prothean Echo Shard.

‘Yes... An inevitability,’ the Prothean answered as he set the book aside. ‘It is a rather strange concept. To be able to love someone of your choice, without the need to see if their genes are worthy or the constant need to reproduce for the survival of your race.’

‘Was it different before the Reaper invasion?’ Noah asked out of curiosity, because from how Javik had described his empire, he couldn’t imagine things were any better before the Reaper invasion. It sounded like a strict and orderly civilization that would harshly punished anyone who had made a mistake.

‘I wouldn’t know for certain, though I do recall reading from some records that so long that one had an offspring with their paired partner and the social order was maintained, they were free to be with whoever they wanted,’ Javik replied as he picked up a psychological book on the subject of relationship. ‘We certainly didn’t have this many emotional problems. How bothersome.’

‘A relationship is always complicated. Especially between lovers,’ the human retorted lightly.

‘True,’ Javik nodded in agreement. ‘Perhaps I should be thankful of the fact that our relationship is a simpler affair.’

 _Only because you are being clinical about it and we are not actually dating for real._ Shepard thought as he went to pay for his books, though he wasn’t sure if he was sad or not about that peculiar thought. They went through a lot together during the war and this special bond that was forged on Eden Prime still tied them together. It was a unique bond that was perplexing for him, much as a moth attracted to the light a fire displayed, but Javik’s stuck-up attitude often rubbed him the wrong way and kept him at an arm-length distance at times. Noah might admit that a part of him wished for something more, something that was more tangible than a connection that was accidentally forced upon him. Sadly, it was obvious to him that the Prothean only saw him as a trusted friend, with benefits on the side, at most. A gullible retainer at worse.

As they were about to just head back to his apartment, Noah was stopped in his track by Javik’s hand on his wrist, something that was unusual for the ancient alien, seeing he still avoided physical contact with people, for their feelings and knowledge were harder to suppress than inanimate objects.

‘There... is some place I wish for us to go to before we return,’ Javik said, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

‘I... okay?’ the human replied back uncertainly, wondering where did the Prothean wanted to take him, because Earth did not have any significant location the other was attached to.

The location in question was the rooftop of a recently renovated building, where they could see the Conduit Station in the distance. Noah sighed as he leaned against the railing, staring at the beam of light that was now the symbol of hope and unity, forever connected to the Citadel that remained stationary above Earth.

‘Do you remember this place?’ Javik asked as he stood next to him with his hands clasped behind him.

‘No. Should I?’ Shepard asked as he glanced around, not recalling anything specific about this building. Honestly, London’s structure had changed a lot since they had started rebuilding the city. Some sectors had been remodelled to accommodate the dextro-protein races during the period when every race’s technicians and scientists were working on reactivating the powered-down Mass Relays after the Crucible had disabled all the Reapers and the Relays.

Javik chuckled lightly as he replied, ‘I guess compared to its previous desolated state, this is a major change. Not to mention, we were located at slightly lower level.’

The Prothean’s words slowly clicked some disjointed memories together for the human to recall where this location was. ‘Ah, now I remember, this place was where we had our last talk before the final assault towards the Conduit.’

‘Indeed,’ Javik said with a nod. ‘I have something for you.’

Noah turned to stare at the Prothean curiously as his alien friend once more touched his hand and placed a familiar object in his palm. A Prothean Echo Shard. Javik’s Echo Shard. Before the human voiced out his question, Javik put his other hand over the memory device, triggering the function of the Echo Shard.

Shepard flinched as images flashed across his mind, slowly forming up clearer pictures and imparting him feelings that were not his own. It felt almost like a Meld with an Asari, except he wasn’t looking at the memories from a third-person perspective. He was locked into the perspective of the owner of these memories, every single feeling the Prothean had felt was resonating in him. It was certainly a strange experience to be staring at himself from another’s point of view.

Nonetheless, Noah could feel clearly everything Javik had felt and all his thoughts were displayed to him intimately. In his mind, he watched as the Prothean was initially dismissive, deeming him as a primitive unworthy of his attention, until the missions they went on together slowly built up the trust between them. Javik had found himself paying more and more attention to this special individual who shone like a guiding light for the lost, drawing various species and even artificial beings into his fold, unifying the different factions and directing all their efforts into the fight against the Reapers.

From an insignificant primitive, Noah became an exotic and almost mystifying being in the Prothean’s eyes. Shepard felt his actual heart skipped a beat when he felt adoration from the alien. Oh... That night at the party was no accident...

***

Javik was actually displeased with the attention Noah’s friends were giving him, especially those who had a more romantic inclination towards him, which the Prothean could easily detect with a subtle brush from his fingers. It had infuriated him to no ends when the human didn’t notice and even paid even more attention to his overly friendly companions. When the Commander drunkenly stumbled into his room, Javik followed, his steps were not much steadier than Shepard’s, though he was determined to stick close to his human. His human... Yes, that sounded right in his intoxicated mind. If there was one being in this age and universe who would be worthy to be at his side, it would be Noah Shepard. He would not allow anyone else to take advantage of the Commander’s drunken state.

The Prothean was so lost in his own thought that he didn’t notice Shepard had stopped in his track and was struggling to open the door of his room, Javik ended bumping into the human.

It was rather amusing how they both stumbled over their words to apologize as they stood face-to-face, each sparing one arm to keep the other person upright while resting the other one on the door. Javik was rather pleased by their closeness and it was even better when the human complimented the softness of his hand. He took that as a good sign that the Commander was interested in him, daring to lean in and kiss him, which was quickly reciprocated. One kiss turned into two, two made them yearned for more, by their third kiss, Javik impatiently forced the door opened with his biotic flaring over his body. Needless to say, they both enjoyed their night greatly and Javik thought that would make things official between them. Unfortunately, it didn’t...

The next morning, when Javik woke up, he only sensed distress and uncomfortableness from the human who was pulling his clothes back on. There was a hint that Shepard was also satisfied with last night’s sex, though it seemed the human was determined to shove whatever feeling he had aside, not wanting to deal with this problem. The Prothean was displeased by that, saddened really, though he quickly swallowed this bitter pill and mockingly teased the Commander that there was at least one thing primitives were good at, angering the human who told him to not say a word about this. As Shepard left to check on the rest of his crew, Javik continued to rest on the bed, wondering why Noah rejected him.

The confusion and sadness clung onto the Prothean, all the way to the Final Battle. As Javik stared at the Conduit in the distance, he was mentally berating himself for even thinking about such things when they had a war to finish. Still, he didn’t expect Shepard to come to him, especially when the Commander had been avoiding him.

‘Was it as bad as back then?’ Shepard asked almost casually, though it was still obvious to Javik that the human was worried and he was trying his best to hide it, knowing that every living being was counting on him to be this beacon of hope. This unwavering pillar that held their spirit up.

‘Worse, but this time I believe we will win,’ Javik answered confidently, turning to face the man he admired greatly. ‘In the past, there was no rallying cry, no unified front and no hope. But you, Noah Shepard, have succeeded in bringing all races together. You have given them hope, the chance to succeed where my people and those who came before us failed. So stand proudly, Commander, and know your enemies will fear your approach.’

It was no great speech, but the Prothean could sense the tension had bled out of the human’s shoulders from hearing these words. Suddenly the nervousness came back, Noah rubbed the back of his neck as he started, ‘I want to apologize for that day, I was... My hungover was bad and I wasn’t...’

Javik quickly held his hand up and said, ‘There is no need to apologize, Shepard. All is forgiven. Besides...’ The alien chanced a cocky smirk. ‘I do believe we have enjoyed our night thoroughly.’

‘Oh god, shut up,’ Noah muttered chokingly, covering his face with his hand as his body quivered from withholding his laugh.

Javik chuckled as he moved forward to firmly grip the Commander’s shoulder. His expression turned serious once the human’s blue eyes were on him once more and he said reassuringly, ‘We’ll speak more once we have eliminated the Reapers. Focus only on the battle before us. Survive and live to tell your tale. I am expecting a good war story at the end of this fight.’

Yellow amber eyes watched as the blue ones sharpened with determination as Noah grasped his shoulder in return and replied with conviction, ‘WE will survive and tell our story to the universe.’

In that short moment, Noah Shepard was the most beautiful being Javik had ever seen his whole life. He would protect him and... if given the chance... maybe... confess his love for him.

***

Vertigo hit Shepard as he felt the memories withdrew from his mind, sensations were slow to return him as his brain struggled to refocus on the present. It was different from the time data were forcefully shoved into his mind from the Beacons or when he was mentally jacked into a Geth server. This was more intense and... intimate. Not to mention how closely he was connected to those peculiar memories...

Noah was faintly aware of the arms around him, holding him protectively. The hazy fog that clung onto his mind was slow to dissipate as strength returned to his limbs sluggishly. The human forced himself to stand straight, hands still clinging hard onto his alien companion who supported his weight. When his brain had finally reconnected itself with the rest of his body, Noah was still stunned by this one seemingly impossible fact. Javik loved him. The arrogant Prothean, who had initially belittled everyone, had somehow developed a crush, which had steadily turned into a full-blown love for someone like him.

They both stood at an impasse, one digesting the indirect love confession the alien had just given him and the other was impatiently waiting for some kind of reply. Noah was the first to break this tensed awkwardness between them, clearing his throat as he asked, ‘What... was that?’

‘My memories obviously,’ the Prothean responded with his eyes wholly focused on the human.

‘I mean... why show them to me? I mean, we’re... just pretend dating, right?’ Shepard questioned, fidgeting a bit under the intense gaze.

‘No. That was just an excuse. I want you to know of my feelings and if you feel the same towards me,’ Javik answered bluntly.

Shepard stood speechless once more. He would be lying if he said he was not interested in a romantic liaison. Yes, he initially disliked Javik a lot, because of his elitist attitude that reminded him too much of the time he was being looked down by others. Over time, the human came to know more of this ancient survivor and became intrigued by him. He didn’t regret the night they spent together, though with the war still going on and his own insecurity of their relationship, he couldn’t allow himself to even consider the possibility of having a romantic partner. So when Javik used that mocking tone of his, Noah had jumped on it and made a hasty retreat. He had regretted how badly he had handled it and how much of a coward he was when he had been avoiding the ancient alien.

Now Noah had the second chance to accept Javik and... maybe see where this relationship of theirs would go. Hopefully, it would be... smoother than their first attempt.

‘I... do feel the same,’ Shepard replied with a small smile.

‘Oh... good. Perfect. Naturally, you’ll accept. I am-’

Noah quickly shut Javik up with a kiss. He did not need to hear him babbling about his superiority or whatever condescending things he wanted to blurt out. No, Noah much preferred to pay attention to the feeling of the alien lips on his, taking time to memorize them through this heated kiss.

The human felt rather victorious when he pulled back and Javik was left breathless. Good to know that there was a way to temporarily delete that arrogant attitude and put the other’s mind on restart.

The Prothean quickly cleared his throat as he took a small step back, obviously wanting to be able to finish his sentence without any unnecessary interruption. The act caused Shepard to grin mischievously.

‘Right. Now that this matter is settled, I believe we need to look for a good seamster. One who is good at recreating some Prothean wedding attires,’ Javik said and once again, Shepard stood in shock. ‘What?’

‘Uh... weren’t you just asking me to be your lover?’ Noah asked incredulously.

‘Yes and you have accepted my proposal,’ Javik confirmed.

‘You did not ask me to marry you,’ Shepard said, thoroughly confused by this development. How did they jump from friends to dating lovers to going to marry soon in the span of a few minutes?!

‘When I share the memories within my Echo Shard, I am proposing to you, Noah,’ Javik replied, as if it was obvious. ‘Didn’t Liara inform you of such matters?’

‘We mostly discussed general knowledge of Prothean back then. So, no. She did not tell me that’s the equivalent of a marriage proposal. And for your information, nowadays couples date for at least a year or so before they even consider the idea of marriage,’ Shepard answered exasperatedly. They really had lots of things that still required unpacking.

‘Why would I wait a year to propose? I love you and you love me. That’s more than enough,’ Javik said, frustration colouring his voice.

‘It’s not about waiting, it’s about getting to know each other and see if things work between us,’ Noah explained, trying to get the alien to understand that he was moving a little too fast for standard.

‘I do know you, remember?’ Javik said as he flexed his three fingers, wordlessly reminding Shepard of his race’s unique ability.

‘Well, I don’t,’ Noah replied, flexing his hand in return before he sighed tiredly. ‘Can’t we just... take this slow?’

The Prothean looked ready to argue, though he relented and agreed, ‘Alright, but I will still announce this news to Liara, I am sure she will be delighted to spread the news to everyone. The wedding will definitely be a grand one.’

‘Dating! We are dating! Marriage comes LATER!’ Noah shouted.

***

The human and Prothean started bickering over dating and marriage. As they made their way back to Shepard’s apartment, their topic of argument somehow managed to turn into one of planning for their wedding. Needless to say, Javik was definitely satisfied with getting Noah as his mate. Noah would have been happy as well, if he did not need to handle the bombardment of questions from his friends and about half of the galaxy once the news spread.

'I hate you,' Noah muttered as he pulled the plug on his communicator.

Javik chuckled in delight as he set aside his terminal and leaned in to kiss his human, distracting his lover from the troublesome world. He replied with a smirk, 'I love you as well.'


End file.
